The Dual Nature of Digital Dating on Mental Health: A Moderated Mediation Analysis of Attachment, Coping, and Depression Among Single Dating App Users

Although single individuals represent a significant portion of the population and are more motivated in their adoption of Dating Applications (DAs), their experiences in relation to psychological well-being remain inadequately explored. Grounded in attachment theory, this study investigates the psychological impact of DAs use among single individuals, specifically how it interacts with self-representation and coping strategies, and how these constructs may be associated with depressive symptoms. We build upon the conceptualization of DAs as a “psychological amplifier”, hypothesizing and empirically testing how their use may intensify pre-existing associations between self-concept and mental health outcomes via coping strategies. Data from 2124 Italian singles (704 DA users, 1420 non-users) were investigated using a moderated mediation model, holding self-representation (using the Internal Working Model of Self—IWMSelf) as the exogenous variable, avoidant coping strategies as the mediator, depressive symptoms as the outcome, and DAs usage as the moderator. The negative indirect association between a positive IWMSelf and avoidant coping was more pronounced for users (b = −0.32) than non-users (b = −0.22), with DAs usage exerting a moderating effect. Similarly, avoidant coping’s positive association with depressive symptoms was stronger for users (b = 0.36) compared to non-users (b = 0.28). Finally, the significant moderated mediation model confirmed this amplification (b = −0.056). These findings supported the hypothesized amplification effect (index of moderated mediation: b = −0.056, 95% CI −0.098, −0.016), providing initial empirical evidence for DA use functioning as a psychological amplifier and contributing to understanding the complex interplay between digital platforms and mental health, emphasizing the critical need for a psychologically informed approach to online intimacy.