Roll for Insight: Understanding How the Experience of Playing Dungeons & Dragons Impacts the Mental Health of an Average Player

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game published by Wizards of the Coast. Evidence shows that D&D is being used as therapeutic practice by clinical psychologists, and the reported success of these interventions indicate that it may have positive outcomes for its players. However, there is little research that establishes, from a psychosocial perspective, how playing D&D provides opportunities for supporting frequent player’s mental health. Using semi-structured interviews and a reflexive thematic analysis, we aimed to understand better how playing D&D interacted with players’ well-being psychologically and socially, as well as exploring factors that may prove challenging or problematic in the therapeutic context. 6 men, 2 women, and 2 nonbinary people participated in the study. Analysis illustrated several processes that are supportive for players’ mental health. These features were identified as five key themes: escapism, exploration of self, creative expression, social support, and routine. These findings highlight the transformative potential of D&D in a therapeutic setting, offering insights into its positive impact.