Life Paths: MacEwan alumnus creates board game to reduce mental health stigma

An alumnus from Edmonton’s MacEwan University created a unique board game designed to facilitate conversations around mental health and addictions – while raising awareness of those issues on campus.

“Life Paths” is the brainchild of former MacEwan science and psychology graduate student Brayden Ritter.

“It’s so easy to take a day off because you have a cold, but even when you wake up some days and you’re just struggling, there’s more of a stigma associated with that,” said Ritter. “So that’s why we’re trying to develop this project to open up the conversation and reduce the stigma surrounding that.”

The game is designed to help students who are reluctant to seek help with their emotions and mental health concerns. It also provides students with the necessary tools to help cope with different emotions through real-life examples.

“Community is such a big aspect of that,” Ritter explained to CityNews. “You can play a community card on your friends, so if they’re experiencing a tough time, you can play a card to help them go through that and then you both get an advantage in the game.”

“We can kind of walk through an experience of somebody who might’ve had some more challenging experiences and have an understanding and have empathy for what that might feel for them,” added Sarah Stone, a member of the Coalition for Harm Reduction at MacEwan (CHARM).

The game was created in partnership with CHARM. It’s being launched during National Addictions Awareness Week, taking place across Canada Nov. 24-30.

“Prevention is a really important step with addiction or substance use awareness treatment,” Stone said. “Being able to help normalize the conversations around addictions and substance – a very important step in the process towards destigmatizing, but also in help seeking behaviours.”

According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, mental illness affects 1.2 million children and youth. By age 25, that number rises to 7.5 million – about one-in-five Canadians.

Students at MacEwan were very receptive to the board game.

“Honestly, it made me think how I grew up during my childhood, all the hardships I’ve been through and all the good times,” Rob said.

“I really liked the way it kind of encompasses how holistic health is and mental health and how so many environmental factors can impact the way you’re feeling,” added Jordan.

In addition to playing his board game, Ritter says taking some time off and finding a community at MacEwan University helped him with his own mental health.