Role-playing games are being used in the treatment of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
They have been a good alternative for developing socio-emotional skills, executive functions and even encouraging sports.
This is not the first time that games appear as a solution for medical or psychological treatments, but the possibilities offered by RPG stand out and automatically place it as an important element in the development of children with ADHD.
O RPG (Role-Playing game) is characterized by placing players in the roles of characters in the game.
He creates narratives collaboratively, in contact with other people virtually, and this helps to improve children’s emotional and social skills.
Treatment assistance
Using RPG games helps in the treatment of children with ADHD – Photo: Reproduction
The master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the Institute of Psychology of University of São Paulo (USP)Germano Henning, explains that RPG is used primarily, aimed at developing the child’s social skills, but that it is capable of helping in the treatment of other clinical conditions.
Each role-playing session involves three to six participants. According to the psychologist, groups are defined according to psychological profile and diagnostic data, age and common interests.
The idea is that the child feels at ease among people with the same characteristics and affinities.
The entire process involving the RPG session is based on prior planning, with tactics aimed at each participant.
The objective is to intervene individually in the social skills of children undergoing treatment. With this, it is possible to evaluate verbal and non-verbal behaviors.
Psychological observation, in this type of interaction, is capable of identifying, for example, visual contact, reactions, degrees of empathy with the colleague who lost, demonstration of conscienceother aspects.
How does the RPG session work?
RPG sessions generally take place in a traditional setting, that is, a table where participants sit around. One of them is in charge of being the narrator of the story (or group master) and the others act as players.
Each patient must create a unique character, so their evolution in the game will depend on the player’s adventures and actions.
Journeys can last months or even years, which makes the experience in the game even more immersive and intense.
Experts in the field recognize the growth in the use of online games in various therapies and treatments, especially those involving group activities, but more detailed studies in this area are still lacking.
Therefore, the adoption of games must be well evaluated and targeted. It is, therefore, not a valid technique for all patients.
It is something that depends a lot on the clinical picture, the disorder suffered and the psychological context.
