Board and tabletop role-playing games.
In 2024, Hasbro.com stated that Dungeons & Dragons celebrated its 50th birthdayu anniversary and reached over 50 million fans worldwide. The use of D&D, as well as other tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs), is becoming a popular trend for colleges and universities to promote student mental health. In August 2024, eight schools launched the National Learning Network for Supportive Play Communities. These schools include Dallas College, Georgia Southern University, University of Texas at Dallas, University of Southern Indiana, Ringling College of Art and Design, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Texas Christian University (I serve as director of TCU Counseling Center, which was the learning network’s host site). The aim of this network is for each school to start Game Support Communities (SGCs), which are small groups that promote the positive benefits of TTRPGs to students. To date, schools prove three important things about TTRPGs.
TTRPGs are popular among college students
Joe LeConte is the Chief Trainer of the National Learning Network. He is a Substance Use and Recovery Counselor/Peer Support Coordinator at TCU and is considered a leading expert on the use of TTRPGs in higher education. When asked why TTRPGs are so appealing to students, Joe LeConte replied, “There’s a lot of popular media like Critical Role, Dimension 20, and a bunch of TV shows like Stranger Things and Community that have really popularized it. RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons…”
This appeal is evident for schools in the national learning network. Cara Guziak, Senior Staff Therapist and Coordinator of Groups and Workshops at UTD said, “…the response from faculty, staff and students to our initial survey of interest was overwhelming and exciting, with more than 75 people responding within the first few hours to our campus-wide email!” Kristie Postorino, Director of Counseling at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, said of the year that, “…this was the most successful, recurring group our counseling center has offered at our small school.”
TTRPGs are effective in promoting mental health
According to Joe LeConte, TTRPGs are instrumental in promoting positive aspects of mental health. He stated, “Similar to the way an actor can inhabit a role, a TTRPG player can take a break from their everyday life and take on the role of an epic hero, a powerful mage, a wimp, or whatever of another character he can imagine. . I believe there is relaxation and empowerment in this fantastic exercise.”
Other experts have also found TTRPGs to be effective in this regard. Dr. Anthony Bean, a famous psychologist for his Geek Therapy numerous publications and presentations related to gamingstates that TTRPGs can benefit students in ways such as enhancing their social skills and teamwork, supporting identity exploration and development, reducing stress through play and escape, and promoting problem-solving and cognitive flexibility. Dr. Bean initially assisted TCU’s trained staff in providing positive gaming experiences for students and commented, “Board role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons provide a structured environment for students to solve problems and build collaborative relationships. These games encourage players to communicate effectively, negotiate and work as a team, skills that can be directly transferred to their academic and social lives.”
In addition to promoting positive skills, SGCs have helped students reduce loneliness and social isolation. As Kristie Postorino described her campus, “…we all knew how difficult it can be for students to find their people/community in college, the proven link between loneliness and increased psychological distress among students, and the overall epidemic of loneliness which surgeon general Vivek Murphy has prioritized. Offering SGCs seemed like a fun way to approach this serious concern, especially for students who might not use traditional counseling center services.”
Cara Guziak echoed this sentiment for UTD, “At the Student Counseling Center, we have first-hand experience with the increasing levels of isolation and loneliness in our student population. Our students actively seek ways to make meaningful connections in ways that one-event approaches and individual services do not. We liked this idea of SGCs as a means of facilitating this connection while remaining available as a source of support.
TTRPGs are enjoyable to facilitate staff
Kristie Postorino summed up her enjoyment of facilitating TTRPGs for students, “All in all, this was a fantastic experience and I will definitely incorporate each year…it was one of the most fun and rewarding experiences I’ve had as a clinician.” There are plans to expand the learning network to other schools next year, and Joe LeConte expressed bigger ambitions, “I think it can be very useful to students, in university settings, high school settings, elementary school and even older, like managed assisted living facilities. I’m inspired by what we’ve already done, but I’m really inspired by the future because this idea is growing so quickly. I want to see what other people come up with.”
