How do Role-Playing Games Help "Improve Lives"?

Summary of 45+ years research and evidence-in-practice

RPG Therapeutics LLC Access Administrator

How do Role-Playing Games Help "Improve Lives"?

This is exactly the question we have been working toward answering for more than 40 years through our research and evidence-in-practice. 

This is a complex topic, and for more thorough information you will need to dive into the world's largest research archives on the topic that are offered freely and openly to the public through the non-profit RPG Research. www.rpgresearch.com

We can point you to a few pages to get started with overviews that may help you. These could be classified as role-playing game therapy (RPG Therapy), therapeutics role-playing games (therapeutic RPG), or applied role-playing gaming (applied RPG).

General explanation on the Benefits of Role-Playing Games for Education and Therapy:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237074784_Role-playing_Games_Used_as_Educational_and_Therapeutic_Tools_for_Youth_and_Adults

Using Role-Playing Games For Autism Spectrum and others:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-role-playing-games-help-neurodiverse-autism-hawke-robinson/

Use of RPGs for Brain Injury recovery:
https://www.academia.edu/4363040/Traumatic_Brain_Injury_interventions_using_role_playing_games

General RPG history, therapeutic and educational uses:
An Overview of the History and Potential Therapeutic Value of Role-playing Gaming

Pros and Cons of Different RPG Formats (tabletop, live-action, electronic, hybrids):
Overview List of the Pros and Cons of Each Role-Playing Game Format

The above should give you a good starting place. If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to ask.