Lauren E. Etheredge is a Research Associate at Mississippi State University’s Social Science Research Center. She received a B.S. in Psychology and B.A. in Sociology from Mississippi State University in December of 2023. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Sociology at MSU. Her primary research interests include social and policy determinants of mental health, gender and sexual minority health, ADHD and Autism coping and interventions, Social and Emotional Learning, bullying intervention, and impacts of AI and social media. Her undergraduate honors thesis examined barriers to mental healthcare among college students using an intersectional approach. She plans to pursue her PhD in sociology upon completion of her master’s.