The Southern Area Men’s Health Group invites you to join them at their free Annual Men’s Health Seminar which will take place on Friday 6th March 2020, from 9.30am - 2.00pm, in Tandragee Recreation Centre, Tandragee, Co. Armagh.  This year, the focus is upon 'DeMENtia - Men in the Middle', and the programme will look at things such as: what is dementia; how does dementia impact upon men as sufferers, carers and family members; practical things to help support people with dementia; where / how to find help in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area.  Places must be booked in advance, and lunch and refreshments will be provided on the day.  If you are interested in attending, contact Donna by Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Telephone: 028 37511624.

This year (2020), the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI) will be twenty-one years old.  It is, therefore, important for the Forum to reflect upon how the health of men and boys has progressed since it began.

To achieve this, MHFI is inviting tenders for an initiative which will focus upon researching and analysing secondary data on the health and wellbeing of males in Ireland.  This work will identify changes in the health of local men and boys, and provide a detailed snapshot of their current health status.

The 'Invitation to Tender' document is available at: www.mhfi.org/Tender2020.pdf

The deadline for return of submissions will be 5.00pm on Friday 24th January 2020.

Are middle-aged men not interested in looking after their own mental health, or are we simply not offering them the right things in the right way? ...

If you work in the Republic of Ireland, are curious about the answer to this question, and would like to explore practical strategies to help your organisation to engage more effectively with middle-aged men, then you might be interested in a free one day workshop on ‘Men in the Middle’ - engaging middle-aged men in mental health and wellbeing.  This workshop has been developed by the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI), and is a new Unit within the highly successful and long-running ‘Engage’ National Men’s Health Training Programme.  MHFI is currently looking for groups who would like to host this free workshop for their staff / volunteers / activists.  Click here for more details ...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone in the Men's Health Forum in Ireland!

However, we know that the holidays can often be a stressful and worrying time for many people.  Therefore, please remember that if you need help and support over the Christmas period, you can always contact ...

• The Samaritans (all Ireland) - Freephone 116 123
• Pieta House (RoI) - Freephone 1800 247 247
• Lifeline (NI) - Freephone 0808 808 8000

or visit: www2.hse.ie/get-urgent-help | www.mindingyourhead.info

 

The Men’s Health Forum in Ireland was established in response to the growing recognition of the need to address the poor health status of males on the island of Ireland.  However, one of the first challenges facing MHFI was to gain access to reliable data upon which to plan future interventions.  This remains an ongoing concern.

This barrier was, initially, overcome when MHFI launched its ‘Men’s Health in Ireland’ report in January 2004.  This document provided the most comprehensive overview of key statistics on local men's health ever collated up to that time.  It offered clear evidence of men's health needs, and a roadmap for action.  Importantly, it also provided a baseline against which to measure progress in the future.  However, since 2004, there has been no further large scale attempt to statistically map what (if anything) has changed in the realm of men’s health in Ireland.

In 2020, MHFI will be twenty-one years old.  It is, therefore, important for the Forum to reflect upon how the health of men and boys has progressed during this period.  To achieve this, MHFI will be issuing an ‘Invitation to Tender’ in the New Year - to commission (mostly) statistical research which identifies changes in men’s health in Ireland since 2004, and provides a detailed snapshot of men’s health currently.  If you would like to receive this Invitation to Tender when it becomes available, please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Believe it or not, it’s that time again.  Yes, it’s time to get the most important date of the year into your new 2020 diary …  International Men's Health Week (MHW) always begins on the Monday before Father's Day and ends on Father's Day itself.  This coming year, it will run from Monday 15th until Sunday 21st June 2020.

Every year the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI) convenes an all-island Planning Group for MHW.  Would you be interested in joining with others from across the island of Ireland to help to shape MHW 2020? …  This can be done in many ways - from participating in meetings to electronic communication.  All input is very welcome, and helps to make the week stronger and more relevant.

The first meeting of the Planning Group took place on Friday 29th November 2019, and the second gathering will happen on Monday 27th January 2020 in Dundalk, Co. Louth.  Even if you cannot make the meetings, your feedback on developments via email / phone would still be very helpful.  If you would be interested in being part of the planning process for 2020 (in any way), email Colin Fowler at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

However, even if this is not possible, why not put the dates of MHW 2020 into your new diary, and start thinking about how your group / workplace / church / community / sports club ...  could do something to mark this week?  It’s never too early to start planning!

In 2016, in-depth research was conducted into the experiences and needs of young men aged 18-24 imprisoned in Hydebank Wood College in Belfast.  It included: nine months of participant observation within the institution; the researcher participating in educational classes, recreational activities and association; twenty-six semi-structured interviews with young men; and six interviews with prison officers and support staff.  'Do Your Whack: Investigating the needs and experiences of young men imprisoned in Northern Ireland' is an ARK Policy Brief which highlights the key findings of this research and examines the implications for policy.  Download a copy at: www.ark.ac.uk/ARK/sites/default/files/2019-11/policybrief13_0.pdf

The Healthy Ireland Survey is an annual interviewer-administered face-to-face survey commissioned by the Department of Health.  It is part of the Healthy Ireland Framework to improve the health and wellbeing of people living in Ireland.  This report provides an overview of results from the fifth wave of this survey.  The fifth wave consisted of 7,413 interviews conducted with a representative sample of the population, aged 15 and older, living in Ireland.  Respondents were selected using a probability-based methodology and interviewed in their homes.  You can download the report at: https://assets.gov.ie/41141/e5d6fea3a59a4720b081893e11fe299e.pdf