Role-playing games enhance `social skills and mental health'

In recent years, the intersection of gaming and mental health has garnered significant attention with role-playing games (RPGs) such as Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), Assassin's Creed, The Witcher, Cyberpunk, Final Fantasy, and Skyrim standing at the forefront. These games, once seen primarily as entertainment, are now recognised for their therapeutic benefits.

Power of play

On World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2023, the global video games industry published a global Power of Play report that provided new insights into video gaming’s profound effects on players. The report, jointly commissioned by Video Games Europe, with video game trade associations in Australia, Canada, South Korea, and the USA, surveyed nearly 13,000 players (aged 16 and older) across 12 countries - Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. The results, according to a UN Regional Information Centre for Western Europe, found that 71% of the respondents felt video games serve as a stress reliever, 55% as a means to combat isolation, and 64% turn to games to help them face everyday challenges.

Psychologists, therapists, gamers, and game designers shed light on how structured gaming can profoundly impact mental well-being.

Therapeutic benefits 

RPGs offer a rich, structured environment where players navigate intricate scenarios. The immersive nature of RPGs is considered especially beneficial for individuals grappling with social anxiety, autism spectrum disorders, or ADHD. Dr. Sneha Sharma, consultant psychiatrist at Aakash Healthcare, New Delhi, encapsulates the essence of these benefits: “Role-playing games create a platform for creative expression, fostering imagination and problem-solving skills, apart from promoting social interaction, teamwork, and communication.” They allow individuals to experiment with different identities in a safe space, which is crucial for those who may feel overwhelmed by direct social interactions in their everyday lives, Dr. Sharma notes.

This safe, controlled environment also facilitates the development of empathy and emotional intelligence. Players engage in situations requiring negotiation, collaboration, and at times, conflict resolution with other characters, which enhances their ability to understand and relate to others.

Moulika Mandal from FLAME University, Pune, explains how an RPG serves as an effective projective technique: “This gameplay allows players to express their conscious and unconscious thoughts through their characters, offering insights into their personal conflicts and emotional states.” Moreover, RPGs encourage players to manage challenges and celebrate achievements, fostering resilience and self-esteem. Describing the role of RPGs in social and emotional learning, Sheena Sood, a psychologist and counsellor at the P. D Hinduja Hospital, says, “Games like D&D help develop self-management and relationship-building skills. The sense of achievement from progressing in a game, combined with the ability to explore different experiences, can have a healthy impact on mental health.”

Problem-solving

These games are not just about playing, they involve creating and solving problems in a collaborative environment as well. By working together to achieve common goals within the game, players learn the importance of teamwork and communication.

“They create a social platform where players can engage with others in meaningful ways, which is often a transformative experience for those who feel disconnected or secluded,” says Zahabiya Bambora, counselling psychologist at HopeQure, Noida. This reduction in isolation is particularly vital for individuals experiencing depressive symptoms, as RPGs foster a sense of community and shared purpose. “Role-playing games are also excellent stress busters and allow for emotional catharsis. Players, through their characters, can explore feelings and scenarios that they might hesitate to confront in real life, which can be a powerful mechanism for emotional release and insight,” Mr.Bambora elaborates. 

Tools for therapy

The structured nature of RPGs allows therapists to use these games as tools for psychological intervention. Dr. Sharma explains the therapeutic utility of RPGs. “In a therapy session, RPGs can be used to address specific emotional and psychological issues. They allow individuals to experiment with different solutions to problems in a safe environment, which can be particularly helpful for those with anxiety disorders.” This method provides a controlled setting where individuals can explore various outcomes without real-world consequences, aiding in the development of healthier coping mechanisms.

Additionally, the narrative aspect of RPGs can be especially beneficial. Mr. Mandal notes, “The storytelling component of RPGs allows patients to narrate their own experiences and possibly reframe them. This can lead to significant insights and emotional processing, which are critical in therapeutic settings.” By engaging creatively with personal and fictional narratives, players (patients) can gain new perspectives on their challenges and successes, fostering personal growth and emotional resilience.

What gamers say

The benefits of role-playing games are not just theoretical or confined to therapy rooms; they are vividly illustrated in the experiences of gamers and the intentions of game designers. These insights provide a practical perspective on how RPGs impact skills applicable in everyday life.

Shravan Kanchan, 29, an avid RPG enthusiast from Mumbai who has been deeply involved in games like Skyrim, Fallout, Borderlands, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance for over a decade, attests to the practical applications of these games. “The strategy and problem-solving aspects of RPGs mirror real-life scenarios, providing stress relief and a sense of achievement. These games help develop social skills by teaching what to do—or not to do—to avoid adverse outcomes,” he says. Another Bengaluru-based gamer, Rohan Desai, 35 shares similar sentiments. “Playing D&D has been transformative for my social skills. It has improved my teamwork and communication abilities, which have been invaluable in my professional life. Learning to collaborate effectively in a game setting has made it easier to navigate workplace dynamics.”

From the design perspective, Priya Kumar, a Mumbai-based freelance game designer, who has worked on games such as Arena of Heroes elaborates on the objective behind these intricate games: “Our goal is to create scenarios that challenge players to solve complex problems and make quick decisions under pressure. These are critical skills that help in all areas of life, from personal to professional situations.” This intentional design ensures that the skills developed in the fantasy world of RPGs are transferable to real-world challenges, bridging the gap between play and practical application.

Excessive gaming

As the body of research grows, the role of RPGs in therapeutic settings continues to evolve. Of course, amid all this optimism, one needs to factor in the other end of the spectrum where excessive gaming has been known to cause `gaming disorder'—a condition where gaming eclipses other life activities. Balance, as much as in life, is essential in gaming too. 

                                                        (By arrangement with livemint.com)