Cancer Focus Northern Ireland invites you to attend their free Men’s Health Conference 2016.  This will look at some of life’s challenges and barriers for men, and will review practical strategies that build resilience and allow men to bounce back.  This event will take place on Thursday 15th September 2016, from 9.00am - 1.30pm, in the Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim.  To register / get further information, email Denise Bownes: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ireland’s inaugural 'Mental Health and Wellbeing Summit' is taking place in the Aviva Stadium on Friday 14th October 2016.  This event is open to all sectors - from health practitioners, to the corporate sector, to the general public.  The Summit will cover many topics over the course of the day through a series of talks and workshops.  The speakers come from various areas of expertise including medical, psychological, sports, nutrition, research and personal experience.  They include Bressie and the ‘Ironmind Challenge’ team (probably the most well-known local advocates for mental health).  The event will also feature a panel of speakers who will discuss their own personal experiences and how they cope with mental health issues on a daily basis.  For more information, visit: www.mentalhealthandwellbeingsummit.com or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ReachOut Ireland will be hosting the fourth international Technology for Wellbeing Conference on Wednesday 14th September 2016 in The Marker Hotel, Dublin.  The conference will look at: online mental health service delivery; innovation in technology and mental health; social media and mental health; suicide prevention and the internet; mental health promotion / public messaging online; national policy in technology and mental health; good practice in the safe delivery of online mental health services; technology, cyber-safety and young people; youth participation and engagement with online interventions.  For more information, visit: http://ie.reachout.com/about/programme-2016

The Institute of Public Health (IPH) invites you to attend the 5th Public Health Open Conference which will take place on Tuesday 11th October 2016 in Titanic Belfast.  The aim of this free event is to provide a platform to: showcase cross-sectoral work in public health; provide opportunities for cross-disciplinary networking; enhance knowledge, skills and leadership in public health.  The theme this year will be: ‘Breaking down boundaries - innovation, participation and creativity in public health’.  As in previous years, registered delegates will be invited to help to shape the conference by voting on who should make presentations.  A call is now out for potential presenters to submit their ideas for this event, and the closing date for submissions is Friday 12th August 2016.  To find out more, visit: www.iphopenconference.com

'An Assessment of the Economic Cost of Smoking in Ireland' is the report on a study which was carried out for the Department of Health in the Republic of Ireland.  A large body of evidence exists on the relationship between smoking and health conditions.  In total, 41 conditions with a causal relationship with smoking were identified.  However, looking beyond the direct effects on human health, the review also found evidence of a variety of impacts that smoking has on wider society.  It is estimated that, in 2013, 5,950 premature deaths could be attributed to smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke, along with over 200,000 hospital episodes.  The total cost to the health service was estimated to be over €460 million, while the total estimated cost of lost productivity was over €1 billion.  Download a PDF copy of the report at: www.health.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/An-assessment-of-the-economic-cost-of-smoking-in-Ireland.pdf

An ARK Research Update (released in May 2016) shows that almost one third of Primary 7 children, and less than one in ten of 16 year olds, meet the target of 60 minutes of physical activity per day.  Download a PDF copy of this paper at: www.ark.ac.uk/publications/updates/update107.pdf

A graduate student from the United States of America is conducting research which addresses issues related to young men in Northern Ireland.  The project focuses on understanding how young men’s social and political identities have been influenced by their experiences of living in Northern Ireland during the 1990s transitional period.  Furthermore, the project examines how these experiences have impacted upon not only young men’s mental health and behaviour, but also their perceptions of masculinity.  The researcher is looking to interview men who: are between the ages of 29-40 years; lived in Northern Ireland during the 1990s; will be available in Northern Ireland until mid-September 2016.  For more information, contact Jenna Lada at by email at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.