The social links in nerd culture and barriers to mental health care in the Pokémon TCG community

Purpose: Prior research suggests that members of a gaming community might have a higher risk for depression. This paper aims to investigate the effect of self-stigma on self-reported depression and its link with rumination in the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) community. The purpose is to assess the mental health in this community, raising awareness about mental health issues in under-researched, sub-nerd cultures. Design/methodology/approach: A total of N = 733 Pokémon TCG players took part in an online survey in September 2021. The survey collected socio-economic and game-related data, along with responses to the Ruminative Thought Style Questionnaire. A list experiment was conducted to disentangle social desirability bias when self-reporting a depression diagnosis. Findings: The results show that members of the Pokémon TCG community underreport if they have received a diagnosis of depression by 4.6% points (z = 2.018, p < 0.05). This underreporting further increases to 7.2% points (z = 2.559, p < 0.01) when considering the sub-sample of respondents who ruminate more. Intersecting those who ruminate more with the respondents residing in North America, more than quadruples the initial underreporting to 20.6% points (z = 5.345, p < 0.01). Research limitations/implications: This study relies on self-reported depression, rather than using a standardized questionnaire. Further research should determine if rumination and depression in the Pokémon TCG community predate or result from participation. Originality/value: This study offers a unique insight into a never before studied community. The findings raise awareness about depression, potentially reducing self-stigma that is preventing individuals from accessing mental health care.