INTRODUCTION: Critical consciousness refers to awareness of systems of power and privilege embedded in social hierarchies, recognition of one's position within those systems, and the belief that inequitable systems should be challenged. For LGBTQ+ people, critical consciousness has both positive and negative impacts on psychological well-being. On the one hand, it provides a framework to recognize and externalize cisheterosexist oppression, fostering pride in LGBTQ+ identity. On the other hand, heightened awareness of societal negativity toward LGBTQ+ people may increase vulnerability to internalized stigma, defined as negative beliefs and feelings about one's LGBTQ+ identity.
PURPOSE: To examine these competing pathways by testing whether LGBTQ+ identity pride and internalized stigma mediated the association between critical consciousness and well-being.
METHOD: Structural equation modeling was conducted with 777 LGBTQ+ adults in the United States.
RESULTS: Critical consciousness was directly associated with lower well-being (B = -.24, SE = .07, z = -3.62, p < .001). Conversely, critical consciousness was indirectly associated with greater well-being through LGBTQ+ identity pride: higher critical consciousness predicted more identity pride (B = .41, SE = .05, z = 7.62, p < .001), which in turn predicted greater well-being (B = .51, SE = .07, z = 7.91, p < .001). Internalized stigma did not mediate this relationship. The model demonstrated excellent fit to the data (χ2(113) = 411.24, p < .001; CFI = .99; TLI = .99; SRMR = .04; RMSEA = .06, 90% CI [.05, .07]) and accounted for 23% of the variance in well-being.
CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the complex role of critical consciousness for LGBTQ+ people, suggesting that awareness of oppression is ultimately more beneficial than harmful. Although linked to some costs, its stronger effect in fostering identity pride outweighs its impact on internalized stigma, underscoring identity pride as a key pathway through which critical consciousness supports well-being.
