Defeating dragons and demons: consumers’ perspectives on mental health recovery in role-playing games

ABSTRACT

Objective: Role-playing games elicit narratives of heroism, mastery and agency. These are factors considered to promote mental health recovery. This study investigates whatthemes emerge from the stories of role-playing game players in recovery from mental health difficulty and how their stories reflect existing models of mental health recovery.

Method: This study utilised narrative inquiry to understand the experiences of Dungeons and Dragon players in recovery from mental health difficulties. Thirteen Dungeons & Dragonsplayers (M = 33.31; SD = 10.05) were interviewed about their experience with the game and recovery. Analysis of narratives was conducted inductively and deductively.

Result: Participants discussed a number of factors that linked Dungeons & Dragons to their mental health wellbeing. These included a) experiencing through characters, b) skill building, c) finding space from mental health symptoms, d) safely engaging with mental health difficulties, and e) building relationships. All five stages of the Psychological Recovery Model (Andresen, Oades & Caputi, 2003) were present, and participants engaged with Dungeons & Dragons in a manner reflective of their mental health recovery process. Conclusion The current study expands on research that conceptualizes recovery asa multidimensional process and highlights new elements that have implications for consumers and theoretical frameworks.

KEY POINTS

What is already known about this topic:

• (1) Mental health difficulties can severely impact a person’s quality of life and disrupt their internal narrative.

• (2) Mental health difficulties can severely impact a person’s quality of life and disrupt their internal narrative.

• (3) Community based activities can foster a sense of growth, self-mastery and agency that may ultimately lead to identity reconstruction and a sense of personal recovery.

• (4) Role-playing games have been identified as potentially helpful in assisting people with mental health difficulties restore a sense of agency and positive identity.

What this topic adds:

• (1) Australian Dungeon and Dragon (D&D) players with a history of mental health difficulties were interviewed in regards to their experiences of role-playing and their mental health recovery.

• (2) Participants reported D&D assisted with building relationships with other players, experiencing emotions through their character, developing adaptive skills, engaging with difficult mental health topics and experiencing a safe space from mental health difficulties.

• (3) All five stages of the Psychological Recovery Model were present, and participants engaged with D&D in a manner reflective of their mental health recovery process.

KEYWORDS:

• Recovery
• mental health
• positive gaming
• dungeons and dragons
• role-playing games

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.