Longitudinal associations between dating app use, sexual racism, and mental health among Black and Latinx gay and bisexual men: The protective roles of general social support and identity-specific community connection.

OBJECTIVES: To identify contextual factors that harm and protect the mental health of Black and Latinx gay and bisexual men, this study examined (a) associations between dating app use and psychological distress over time mediated by sexual racism, with (b) moderation by different sources of supportive social connections (i.e., general social support, gay community connection, and racial/ethnic community connection). METHOD: = 412), multiple moderated mediation path analyses were tested. RESULTS: Dating app use was associated with more sexual racism, and sexual racism was positively associated with psychological distress. High, but not low, racial/ethnic community connection diminished the effects of sexual racism on psychological distress, and social support from family and friends and gay community connection did not. Furthermore, the indirect effect of dating app use on psychological symptoms through sexual racism was significant. All social support indicators modified this indirect effect, such that the indirect effects were significant only at low values of general social support and at low racial/ethnic and gay community connection. CONCLUSIONS: For Black and Latinx gay and bisexual men, the impact of dating app use on psychological distress may occur through elevated experiences of sexual racism. These associations may be diminished with greater access to general social support and community connection. Findings highlight the dual need for reducing racism on dating apps and for increasing access to general and community-specific forms of social connection and support. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).