Cork researchers find playing Dungeons & Dragons is good for mental health

Dungeons & Dragons played a prominent role in the hit Netflix show Stranger Things.

Playing the legendary table-top fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons is good for your mental health, a new Irish study has found.

The researchers at University College Cork (UCC) say their findings pave the way for clinicians and psychologists here to further explore the benefits of the role-playing game as a therapeutic tool in healthcare settings.

Orla Walsh, the study lead and a PhD researcher in UCC’s School of Applied Psychology, said the research found players discussed the benefits of escapism that accompanied playing the game, as well as exploration of self, creative expression, providing for others, social support and routine, and the positive impact all of this had on their mental health.

Dungeons & Dragons — or D&D — is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game  that was created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974 and evolved to become a global phenomenon, with hundreds of millions of players around the world.

It is widely recognised as the beginning of modern role-playing games and that industry, but it also deeply influenced the video games industry.

Each player creates their own character, who then embarks on adventures within a fantasy setting, teaming up to solve problems, engaging in battles, exploring and gathering treasure and knowledge, with the ‘dungeon master’ serving as the referee or storyteller for the game. Players can meet for months or years as the game evolves.

Surge in popularity

The game surged again in popularity in recent years, with sales booming during the covid pandemic and enjoying a prominent role in the hit Netflix show Stranger Things, prompting the UCC study to investigate its impact on the mental health of frequent players.

“Players reported feeling a strong sense of control in-game during times when they felt they did not have control outside of the game,” Ms Walsh said.

“Whilst many hobbies may allow for creative expression, D&D uniquely allows players to collaboratively build and inhabit worlds of their creation.

The social support nurtured by playing D&D gives players emotional and social connection and offers them a space in which they can express themselves freely.

“While social support is a recognised benefit of many group activities, the collaborative storytelling aspect of D&D fosters a unique sense of camaraderie and shared experience among players.” 

She said the study indicated D&D had significant potential to be used in therapeutic settings, because players felt more comfortable exploring problems and practising skills in a space that was separate from the real world.

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Role-playing games are used therapeutically in some places, mostly in the US, but Dr Conor Linehan of UCC’s School of Applied Psychology said the study suggested a wider rolling-out of it may be of benefit in Ireland and across the world.

The study is published on Tuesday in the International Journal of Role-Playing