Aisling McGrath

Introduction: Understanding suicide risk among men requires attention to psychosocial experiences alongside the gendered expectations shaping their lives. This study examined associations between demographic, behavioural and psychosocial factors, conformity to masculine norms and suicide risk among men attending an Irish university.Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 512 male university students assessed suicide risk using the Suicide Behaviours Questionnaire–Revised (SBQ-R), alongside demographic characteristics, health behaviours, psychosocial measures and Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory (CMNI) subscales. Hierarchical binary logistic regression examined associations with scoring at or above the SBQ-R screening threshold (≥7), entering demographic and behavioural characteristics, psychosocial factors and masculine norms sequentially.Results: Results: Of 473 participants with available SBQ-R data, 42.5% scored at or above the screening threshold; 64.5% of those with loneliness data met the loneliness criterion. Participants at or above the SBQ-R threshold reported greater emotional control, violence, playboy and self-reliance norms, lower endorsement of status and work-related norms, and less favourable help-seeking attitudes and intentions. In the fully adjusted model, higher loneliness (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.24, 95% CI 1.03–1.48) and hopelessness (aOR 1.23, 95% CI 1.04–1.45) were associated with higher odds of scoring at or above the threshold, while greater resilience was associated with lower odds (aOR 0.50, 95% CI 0.33–0.75). Heterosexual identification was associated with lower odds than non-heterosexual identification (aOR 0.44, 95% CI 0.21–0.93), while drug use was associated with higher odds than no use (aOR 2.00, 95% CI 1.08–3.71). Psychosocial factors significantly improved model fit (p < .001); masculine norm subscales did not (p = .780).Discussion: The findings highlight relational experiences, future expectations and coping resources alongside inequalities among men as relevant to suicide prevention interventions in the university setting. The limited additional contribution of masculine norm measures warrants distinguishing individual conformity scores from broader gendered experiences. Gender-responsive prevention should connect accessible individual support with institutional conditions that enable meaningful connection, sustain hope and accommodate diverse identities and circumstances.

Student wellbeing has become an increasing concern within higher education, with evidence highlighting the importance of social connection and belonging for mental health. Guided by settings-based health promotion principles, this study examined relationships between wellbeing, belonging, loneliness, and social connectedness among university students. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among students attending a multi-campus technological university in Ireland (N = 409). Participants completed validated measures of mental wellbeing (Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale), university belonging, loneliness (UCLA-3), and social connectedness, alongside demographic, and contextual questions. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlations, group comparisons, hierarchical regression, and mediation analysis. Low mental wellbeing was reported by 44.1% of students, while 55.4% experienced elevated loneliness. Mental wellbeing was positively associated with university belonging (r = .51) and social connectedness (r = .45) and negatively associated with loneliness (r = −.41) (all P < .001). University belonging emerged as the strongest predictor of wellbeing (β = .325, P < .001), explaining variance beyond demographic and contextual factors. A significant indirect association between loneliness and wellbeing through university belonging was also observed. Female, sexual minority, first-year students, and students whose commuting affected participation reported poorer outcomes on selected measures. Findings highlight the central role of belonging in student wellbeing and suggest that belonging functions as an important health-promoting resource within higher education. Consistent with Healthy Campus and Health Promoting University approaches, universities should move beyond individualized wellbeing interventions and create social, organizational, and environmental conditions that foster equitable connection, participation, and belonging for increasingly diverse student populations.

Sports clubs are gaining recognition as valuable settings for population health promotion, extending impact beyond traditional sporting populations. Ireland Lights Up (ILU) is a nationwide community walking initiative in which Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) clubs provide floodlit walking opportunities during winter to engage communities in physical activity (PA). However, there is limited evidence on who such initiatives reach and whether they enage diverse population groups. To address this gap, a mixed methods approach was utilised. Quantitative data was obtained through cross-sectional questionnaires distributed to participants (n=1226) through club networks over a six-week period. Qualitative data was collected through snapshot interviews (n=30) with participants during site visits and triangulated to understand drivers of participation. Findings indicated that most participants were female (76.5%), white (99.5%) and lived in rural areas (80%). Participants had a mean age of 47 years (SD ±11.01 with the majority (84%) as sports club members. Participants reported high levels of health and wellbeing, with a substantial proportion meeting PA guidelines (48.1%). Single and younger participants were more likely to feel lonely compared to married and older participants (P≤0.05). Qualitative findings highlighted three main participation drivers: safety, social interaction and club walking tracks. ILU engages large numbers of participants in PA nationally and successfully engages its target population, including substantial numbers from traditionally underserved rural communities, by employing an innovative approach that addresses seasonal barriers to PA participation. To further maximise reach, community-based PA programmes require research that includes attention to implementation factors such as participant acceptability.

Gendered approaches to engage men are recommended for health promotion, with community settings, that involve physical activity and specifically football b

This study sought to explore the relationship between sociodemographic-, mental health-, knowledge-, attitudinal-, and conformity to masculine norms variables with suicide literacy, suicide stigma, and help-seeking attitudes among men in a university setting (n = 471) in Ireland. Multiple linear regression with backward elimination was used to determine the independent variables associated with suicide literacy, suicide stigma, and help-seeking attitudes. Lower suicide literacy was associated with an ethnic minority background, living in a rural community, postgraduate students compared to undergraduate students, no depression symptoms in the past year, decreasing loneliness, greater suicide stigma, more negative help-seeking attitudes, lower resilience, greater conformity to the masculine norm power over women and lower conformity to the masculine norm emotional control. Greater suicide stigma was associated with a non-ethnic minority background, all departments of study compared to health and sports science, lower suicide literacy, more negative help-seeking attitudes, and greater conformity to the masculine norms of power over women, dominance, and heterosexual self-presentation. More negative help-seeking attitudes were associated with no generalized anxiety disorder symptoms in the past year, depression symptoms in the past year, greater suicide risk, lower suicide literacy, greater suicide stigma, greater resilience, and greater conformity to the masculine norms emotional control, self-reliance, violence, and heterosexual self-presentation. Findings highlight a need for gender-responsive psychoeducational programmes to target suicide literacy, suicide stigma, and/or help-seeking attitudes among men in university settings. They also highlight that such initiatives need to be co-produced alongside ethnic minority and rural-dwelling men to ensure they are culturally sensitive and acceptable.

Purpose: While health enhancing physical activity (HEPA) initiatives can improve mental health, there is a lack of standardised measures to evaluate mental health outcomes. The need for the current work emerged from discussions amongst researcher and practitioner members of the HEPA promotion in socially disadvantaged groups Working Group of the HEPA Europe network. This study aimed to identify the most relevant indicators of mental health and well-being in community-based HEPA initiatives in Europe, and determine optimal assessment methods. Methods: An adapted, two round, Delphi method (guided by an indicator framework to categorise mental health indicators based on the dual-continua and socio-ecological models) was conducted with 20 experts in the field of mental health and physical activity from Denmark, the Netherlands, the UK, and Ireland. Experts selected the most important indicators and agreed consensus on definitions and their application, where consensus ≥50% signified important indicators. Results: Experts compiled 66 (n = 21 outcome, n = 45 determinant) indicators. Top rated indicators for the evaluation of HEPA initiatives were self-rated mental health (69.2%), physical activity (69.2%) life satisfaction (53.8%), stress (53.8%), loneliness (53.8%), social participation, network, connection and support (53.8%). Consensus on definition and application of the nine indicators varied (44.4% - 100%), with no consensus on a standardised measurement tool reached. Conclusions: While this study highlights a lack of conformity for evaluating mental health and wellbeing outcomes, it suggests utility in an agreed definition and application of nine indicators for the evaluation of HEPA initiatives, with social determinants of particularly high importance across all countries. Suggested measures are provided to aid community based practitioners measure mental health outcomes of physical activity programmes. Further research is recommended to develop a standardised measurement tool that can be utilised across other European countries and its implementation tested.