One thing we like to make clear to people is that table top role playing and other collaborative games aren't just fun. They are effective at delivering several mental health benefits and these are increasingly being documented in popular and scientific literature. Games like Dungeons and Dragons have fortunately become more accepted in recent years by mainstream culture and mental health circles. This is a far cry from those of us that remember playing in the 70s and 80s when players were often considered mal-adjusted weirdos at best, and satanic evil-doers at worst.
Due in large part to recent explosions in popularity of role playing games, scientific bodies have done a number of studies recently that show evidence of the benefits these games provide. For instance the article "Role-play Games for Mental Health" published in 2022 by Ian Baker, Ian Turner, and Yasuhiro Kotera which after studying various research articles stated "These qualitative studies and anecdotal reports all provide evidence that playing RPGs such as D&D can aid in friendship and relationship maintenance, mitigation of social anxiety, improved social skills, reducing stress, alleviation from mental health challenges, and providing connection with others."1
This means that some good old fashioned table top role playing may be more beneficial than some other traditional therapies when it comes to mental health outcomes. So the next time you sit down at a table with some friends, eat some food, and slay some dragons together, remember it's not just for the fun of it, buy you are also improving or protecting your mental health at the same time.
1. Baker, I. S., Turner, I. J., & Kotera, Y. (2022). Role-play Games (RPGs) for Mental Health (Why Not?): Roll for Initiative. International journal of mental health and addiction, 1–9. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-022-00832-y
Photo credit: OK McCausland for The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/21/style/dungeons-and-dragons.html