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HOME page | Engage Psychiatric, San Francisco and Pasadena

Cara T. Hoepner, MS, RN, CS, PMHNP-BC

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Research & Publications

RESEARCH FOCUS

Mood disorders, psychopharmacology, dimensional diagnosis, and complex treatment response.

My published work focuses on mood disorders, psychopharmacology, dimensional diagnosis, and real-world treatment complexity. I examine the gap between randomized clinical trials and clinical reality—where comorbidity, exclusion criteria, and regulatory physiology meaningfully shape outcomes beyond algorithmic models of care.


My research addresses antidepressant trial design, evidence-based selection in complex patients, and the biological interfaces between mood pathology, inflammation, and metabolic regulation. I also contribute to reference texts and clinician-oriented publications in psychiatry.

Scholarly Profiles

Citation metrics and publication indexing are available via ORCID and Google Scholar.

Selected Publications

Books & Reference Chapters

Hoepner CT, Zetin M. Depression and dysthymia. In: Aminoff MJ, Daroff RB, eds. Encyclopedia of the Neurological

Sciences. 2nd ed. Cambridge, MA: Academic Press; 2014. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-385157-4.01076-9

Zetin M, Hoepner CT, Kurth J. Challenging Depression: The Go-To Guide for Clinicians and Patients. New York, NY:

        W. W. Norton Company; 2010https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393706109

Peer Reviewed Publications

Zetin M, Hoepner CT. Relevance of exclusion criteria in antidepressant clinical trials: a replication study. Journal

        of Clinical Psychopharmacology. 2007;27(3):295–301. DOI: 10.1097/JCP.0b013e318058263f

Zetin M, Hoepner CT. Rational antidepressant selection: applying evidence-based medicine to complex real-

        world patients. Psychopharmacology Bulletin. 2006;39(1):38–104. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17065974/

Hoepner CT, McIntyre R, Papakostas G. Impact of supplementation and dietary management on pathogenic

        processes of mood disorders: a review of the evidence. Nutrients. 2021;13(3):767–792. DOI:

        10.3390/nu13030767 ​​​​

Invited Clinical & CME Publications

​Hoepner CT. OTC agents for depression, anxiety, and insomnia. The Carlat Psychiatry Report. 2013;11(7):1–3. 

        https://www.thecarlatreport.com/articles/2009-otc-agents-for-depression-anxiety-and-insomnia

Zetin M, Hoepner CT. The patient with depression, part one: real-world treatment options for unipolar major

        depression. Category 1 CME. Psychiatric Times. 2008;25(10):30–39.

Zetin M, Hoepner CT. The patient with depression, part two: real-world treatment options for bipolar depression.

        Category 1 CME. Psychiatric Times. 2008;25(10):19–29.

For a complete publication list and professional history, see my CV.

© Cara Hoepner  2026 | All Rights Reserved
San Francisco, California

 
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