Dimensie

What is D&D?

Some of you might know it, or even play yourselves, but for the ones that do not spend their free Friday evening rolling dice to persuade imaginary characters, D&D is a fantasy tabletop roleplaying game. One player is called the DM, Dungeon Master (also known as Game Master), and they guide the other players through the story. The outcome of choices, actions or battles is highly dependent on the dice rolls of the players. The players play their character most often and make the decisions during the game based on what they think their character would do, hence the roleplaying. Of course, nowadays the players do not have to sit down around a table for it, as there are also digital versions of the game supported by many websites, such as Roll20, or the infamous DnDBeyond. However, many groups still schedule together when to meet and play D&D around a table, some with maps (digital or physical), some with miniatures, some with expensive and lucrative dice sets, but some with just their character sheet and their mind full of imagination.

The resurgence

The resurgence of D&D comes from many sources. During lockdown, D&D seemed to skyrocket, as the sales ‘requirements’, such as the rule or game books, went up by 33%. Besides those sales, mainstream media began focussing on shows and movies that are inspired by the 80’s/90’s nostalgia, which D&D is one part of. Stranger Things, a Netflix series that came out in 2016, is highly focused on D&D, in which the main characters themselves play D&D and the monsters in the show are inspired by the game. In recent years, the resurgence also seems to correlate to a new game that came out in 2023, called Baldur’s Gate 3. The game matches the vibe of the beloved D&D game and is a good introduction to people who cannot find a group yet to play with.

Study about mental health and D&D

This resurgence is one of the reasons why more studies are being published now about the effects of D&D on mental health. Walsh and Linehan (2024) studied a group of individuals, 6 men, 2 women and 2 nonbinary people, and the effect of D&D on psychological and social mental health outside of the therapeutic context. There were a couple of big factors that affected the well-being of the players. One of them is the escapism that the players have while playing the game. They do not have to be present or active at that moment in the current world, and the stressors of daily life are then put on a low burner. Besides that, the participants had a strong feeling of control in the game, even when the participants did not have that in their normal day-to-day lives. D&D was also seen in the study as nurturing a safe space in which players can express themselves freely without judgment. The study also mentions that besides the social support that many group activities cater, D&D does this in another unique way, as the players have more impact on the story together and a different bond of camaraderie is created.

Roleplaying in the therapeutic sense, with or without D&D, is used mostly in the United States in group therapy, however, it might be used more globally after more research rolls out about the effects of D&D and roleplaying in therapeutic, but also outside of therapeutic context. Are you persuaded enough now to try it out yourself?

Walsh, O., & Linehan, C. (2024). Roll for Insight: Understanding How the Experience of Playing Dungeons & Dragons Impacts the Mental Health of an Average Player. International Journal of Role-Playing, 15, 36–60. https://doi.org/10.33063/ijrp.vi15.321