Potencialidades e limites do role-playing game (RPG) de mesa no campo da saúde mental infantojuvenil: uma revisão narrativa da literatura

This review examined the relationship between participation in tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and mental health in children and adolescents. A narrative review was conducted of empirical studies published from 2016 to 2026 in Portuguese, English or Spanish. SciELO, the Virtual Health Library, Google Scholar and PubMed were searched. Both in-person and videoconference games were eligible. For mixed-age samples, only findings attributable to players aged 19 or younger were included. Ten publications met the criteria. Session observations and interviews described peer negotiation, self-expression and social connection during play. In an uncontrolled pilot, nine autistic adolescents reported less loneliness after eight sessions and at three-month follow-up. Caregiver ratings of overall social skills improved significantly only between baseline and follow-up. In a school evaluation, 22 paired questionnaires showed no statistically significant changes in psychosocial indicators. In clinical reports, the game was delivered alongside other forms of care. The findings supported tabletop RPGs as an opportunity for interaction in specific groups. Study heterogeneity and the lack of controlled comparisons precluded attribution of an independent clinical benefit to the game.