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There have been increasing calls for more gender-specific service provision to support young men’s (20-29 years) mental health and well-being. In Ireland, young men are the demographic group that are most likely to die by suicide but among the least likely to seek help. This study sought to investigate service providers’ perspectives on the factors that support or inhibit young men from engaging in services targeted at supporting their mental/emotional well-being. Qualitative methodologies (focus groups, n = 9; interviews, n = 7) were used for this study. Disconnection from family and community was identified as a key indicator of “at-risk” groups of young men who, more typically, had experienced significant disruption in their lives. The discord between demands and expectations facing young men on one hand, and insufficient life-management and coping skills on the other, left many young men vulnerable and bereft. The desire to save face and preserve one’s masculine identity was linked to young men’s reluctance to seek help when feeling down. There was a strong consensus that there could be no shortcuts to [re]connecting with young men. While sport, technology, and social media were cited as appropriate media in which to engage young men, the essence of sustained connection revolved around creating safety, trust, rapport, and meaningful relationships. The findings from this study have informed the development of a Train the Trainer program (“Connecting with Young Men”), which is currently being delivered to service providers in Ireland and which may have implications for service provision elsewhere.

Abstract Biochar has been used as an amendment to improve soil fertility and increase crop yield. However, the effects of biochar on soil properties and rapeseed yield in upland red soil have not been thoroughly investigated, and the factors crucial for rapeseed yield are not yet clear. A five-year field trial was conducted to investigate the effects the of biochar (biochar application rates of 0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 t ha−1, respectively) on soil physicochemical and microbial properties as well as rapeseed yield in upland red soil in Jiangxi Province, China. Results showed that biochar can significantly increase soil pH, available phosphorus, organic carbon, K s, and water retention, however, the influences of biochar on these indexes declined over time. Soil total nitrogen increased significantly when the dose of biochar exceeded 5 t ha−1, and the content of total nitrogen in the 40 t ha−1 biochar treatment increased each year. While the application of biochar gradually increased the contents of NH 4 +-N, NO 3 −-N and enhanced the soil microorganism and enzymatic activities during the first three years, they had returned nearly to their starting values by the end of this study. Rapeseed yield and yield components were significantly improved relative to the control for all biochar amendments in the first year, but the rapeseed yield in all biochar treatments decreased steadily after 2012. According to the principal components analysis and path analysis, the most responsive parameters in the upland red soil were soil acidity and hydraulic properties, meanwhile, soil acidity and hydraulic properties had greater impacts on rapeseed yield than did other indexes. Taken together, these results suggest that biochar can significantly improve soil fertility and rapeseed yield, but the improvements are not permanent. Soil acidity and hydraulic properties were the crucial factors that determined soil fertility and rapeseed yield in upland red soil. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • The effects of 7 rates of biochar in an upland red soil were studied over 5 years. • Soil pH and hydraulic property are major influences on upland red soil fertility. • Biochar can improve rape yield by raising soil pH and water percolation and retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]