Q. When looking to promote mental health, social health and educate, why choose tabletop wargames? Surely something peaceful would be more appropriate?
A. Is any game truely peaceful? Cluedo tasks you with catching a murderer, chess is a representation of two armies conquering the world, monopoly is about financial dominance of the open market...etc etc etc. Wargaming is about taking two or more armies and, through tactics, strategy and fortune, see who will be the victor. Miniature games are by their nature a creative endeavour. Children (and the many adults interested) put together the model kits, paint the models in a colour scheme of their choosing, put together their "roster" or "list" for the game, scratch build terrain and take part in the narrative of their army and the games. Our painting table is the busiest area of our club without fail, and we tend to field more questions about painting and technique than anything else.
Secondly, its where the interest is. The majority of our games are set in the far future, so we're not reliving past and current conflicts, but instead engaging with stories that are fantastical in nature, of good overcoming evil and engaging with conversations about right and wrong. Initially this began as an after school club and it hass really grown through word of mouth amongst the children. It's a story they enjoy, a hobby they like, and it gives them a creative outlet that connects with a number of different learning outcomes for their age group.
Furthermore, we've intentionally avoided the term wargaming in any of our publicity mateiral - its a community gaming group, which means we're not tied to one specific game system, but instead are able to engage with any tabletop games, boardgames and roleplaying games. Essentially, we have flexibility to go where the groups interest leads.
Finally, any form of gaming, whether it be wargaming or a humble "beetle drive", is never about the game. That becomes secondary; instead, the game becomes the excuse for gathering together. This is a social activity that they want to engage with. We have children who sit at the painting table and pour out their worries. We have parents who will stay purely to talk with another adult after a lonely day. We have relationships forming not just between children of different ages, but also between different generations. It provides mental and social support, and has lead to a huge number of spiritual conversations. It forms a supportive community.
Q What reason do you have for promoting gaming as a suitable measure for improving social, emotional and mental health?
A There are lots of studies out there which have scientifically proven the efficacy of using in-person gaming to improve S.E.M.H. A quick google search will bring up lots of scholarly articles, but here are some samples:
"Participants demonstrated significant decreases in depression, stress, and anxiety and significant increases in self-esteem and self-efficacy over the study period."
Merrick, A., Wen Li, W. & Miller, D.J. A Study on the Efficacy of the Tabletop Roleplaying Game Dungeons & Dragons for Improving Mental Health and Self-Concepts in a Community Sample. Games for Health Journal 13(2)
"The therapeutic qualities of these practices went beyond simply discussing and exploring issues; they were an opportunity to gain new skills and confidence—which were fundamental to improving the participants’ lives, well-being, and experiences outside of the game. Furthermore, participants shared that they had developed self-expression skills and a sense of self-advocacy, which encouraged them to support their own interests and build healthy relationships. We know that encouraging participation of young adults in mental health–related services and keeping them involved can bring many challenges. We believe that such community organizations could invest in cultural practices that make sense for and are of interest to these individuals."
Goodall, A.M. & Truong, A.H. (2021) Pop Culture and social insertion: How can play in adolescence and adulthood be "therapeutic"? Journal of Community Safety and Wellbeing, 6(1)
Q You are offering Therapeautically Applied Tabletop Roleplaying Game sessions - does this mean that you are trained therapists?
A. At this moment, no-one at Roll The Dice has a therapy or counselling qualification or certification, though this is something that we are exploring these. We have undergone the Game To Grow training, which is an American Psychological Association accredited program. We are also looking into UK based certification in our methodology, but as of yet there are no UK based training programs which cover what we deliver. Between us, we do have over 30 years of pastoral care experience, through both the Methodist Church and teaching, as well as working closely with SENDCOs and Educational Psychologists. We do not market ourselves as therapists, nor do we market our program as 'Game Therapy', but rather Therapeutically Applied Gaming. We offer the sessions as fully trained practitioners in the Game to Grow program, with many years of child, young person and adult care behind us.