The Research Behind D&D Therapy
Skeptical that a tabletop game can be real therapy? Good. You should expect evidence. The research on therapeutically applied role-playing games is young but growing quickly, and it points in a consistent direction: structured, therapist-led D&D groups help people build social skills, confidence, and connection.
What the Studies Show
An eight-week study of adults playing D&D found significant decreases in depression, anxiety, and stress, alongside gains in self-esteem and self-efficacy.
Published in Games for Health Journal (2024)
The American Psychological Association featured therapists using tabletop role-playing games to treat anxiety, depression, trauma, and ADHD.
Read the APA Monitor on Psychology feature (2025)
A scoping review of the field linked TTRPG participation to stronger social connectedness, group cohesion, identity exploration, and confidence.
Published in Behavioral Sciences (2025)
A rapid evidence assessment concluded that D&D shows meaningful promise as a therapeutic tool across clinical settings.
Published in the Journal of Creativity in Mental Health (2021)
Autistic teens in D&D social groups report belonging, peer connection, and personal agency, and research with autistic adults shows similar benefits.
Read the study on autistic adolescents (2026)
Tabletop role-playing games can increase social connectedness in adults, one of the strongest protective factors against depression and loneliness.
Read the study on social connectedness (2021)
Built on a Proven Foundation
None of this rests on novelty. D&D therapy combines three ingredients that each have decades of evidence behind them: group therapy, behavioral rehearsal, and therapeutic role-play. The game is the delivery system. The mechanisms underneath are long established.
From Hospitals to University Counseling Centers
This approach has moved well past early adopters. Johns Hopkins University's counseling center runs a weekly D&D therapy group for students, university counseling services like BYU's pair D&D with traditional therapy, and community mental health clinics across the country have built similar programs.
Read about the Johns Hopkins group (2023)
How We Apply It in Tacoma
Our Dungeons and Dialogues groups follow the method described in Therapeutically Applied Role-Playing Games by Kilmer, Davis, Kilmer, and Johns. Dr. Chris Engelmann trained with the authors and was the first Game to Grow certified Therapeutic Game Master in Washington State. Every session pairs one focused skill with in-game practice and a real-world challenge, so the research above is not just something we cite. It is how each session is built.
See It Explained
In this TEDx talk, school counselor Jamie Flecknoe describes how Dungeons and Dragons helps teens build social skills and manage anxiety, the same goals our groups work toward each week.