The Relationship Between School Counselor Self‐Efficacy, Empowerment, Critical Consciousness, and Social Determinants of Health Competency: An Initial Investigation

ABSTRACT This study employed an ecological perspective to examine the relationship between school counselors’ perceived social determinants of health (SDoH) competency and demographic, psychosocial, and contextual factors, including professional self‐efficacy, psychological empowerment, critical consciousness, and structural empowerment (SE). A hierarchical linear regression analysis of 367 school counselors found that factors across micro‐, meso‐, and exo‐levels explained 45% of the variance in SDoH competency ( R 2 = 0.450, p < 0.001), with statistically significant predictors including cultural acceptance self‐efficacy, percentage of students receiving free‐and‐reduced lunch (FRL), percentage of students identified as English as second language (ESL) learners, and SE. The findings highlight the role of these factors in promoting school counselor competency to address systemic inequities and support the success of all students. Implications extend to counselor education, supervision, practice, and policy, particularly in fostering equity‐driven practices and creating empowering environments for counselors.