Ryan Andrew Brown

Overview

Commentary

• 

  Human Intelligence: The Key to Ferreting Out Extremism in the Ranks

  The U.S. military is fighting extremism—including white supremacists and violent anti-government radicals—in its own ranks. De-radicalized former extremists can provide crucial first-hand intelligence on extremist groups' recruiting tactics.

  Mar 18, 2021 Defense One

• 

  Your Personal Information Could End Up in the Hands of Foreign Investors

  If you've ever rented a property, you may have wondered what happens to the sensitive information on your application. Recent concerns over the foreign harvesting of personal information for questionable purposes should worry everyone.

  Dec 16, 2020 Inside Sources

• 

  Insider Threat at Twitter Is a Risk to Everyone

  Three young hackers were charged in the hijacking of dozens of high-profile Twitter accounts. Their tactics point out how vulnerabilities at tech platforms can pose a risk to national security.

  Aug 7, 2020 The RAND Blog

Publications

• 

  Research Brief

  Improving Behavioral Health Care for Remote Service Members: Three Key Priorities

  Service members who are geographically remote from a military treatment facility may face unique challenges accessing high-quality behavioral health care. RAND research identified three key priority areas for the U.S. Department of Defense.

  Apr 5, 2021

• 

  Report

  Violent Extremism in America: Interviews with Former Extremists and Their Families on Radicalization and Deradicalization

  Terrorism and ideologically inspired violence are persistent and serious threats to U.S. national security. This report uses interviews to explore why and how 32 individuals joined extremist organizations and how some of them exited these groups.

  Apr 1, 2021

• 

  Report

  Behavioral Health Care in the Military Health System: Access and Quality for Remote Service Members

  The authors evaluated access and quality of behavioral health care provided to service members who reside remotely from a military treatment facility and compared their care with that received by non-remote personnel.

  Mar 31, 2021

• 

  Report

  Tweeting Out Surveys to Pro-Ukraine Influencers: Exploring the Potential for Enlisting Support in the Information Fight Against Russia

  RAND researchers used Twitter advertisements to solicit survey participation from the most-influential members of the pro-Ukraine activist community, drawing on key influencers to help counter Russian propaganda in the region.

  Mar 24, 2021

• 

  Report

  Lessons Learned for Provisioning and Delivering U.S. Military Behavioral Health Care, 2003–2013

  This report highlights selected events and the insights of 17 experts interviewed about the significant changes in the provision and delivery of behavioral health care in the U.S. military that took place from 2003–2013.

  Mar 15, 2021

• 

  Report

  Australia's Third Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children, Priority Area 2: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women and Their Children — Final Report

  The authors discuss their evaluation of the Australian government's Third Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children, designed to address family violence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

  Jan 20, 2021

• 

  Journal Article

  Understanding Sleep Facilitators, Barriers, and Cultural Dimensions in Native American Urban Youth

  This study uses systematic qualitative methods with AI/AN youth to explore their sleep environment and sleep behaviors. Key concerns discussed were poor sleep hygiene, excessive use of electronics at bedtime, issues with temperature regulation, and noise within and outside the home.

  Sep 15, 2020

• 

  Report

  Corporate Knowledge for Government Decisionmakers: Insights on Screening, Vetting, and Monitoring Processes

  The authors of this report interviewed human resources and security personnel in several corporate sectors to derive insights for the U.S. government into ways to screen, vet, and monitor personnel over time.

  Aug 3, 2020

• 

  Journal Article

  Motivational Interviewing and Culture for Urban Native American Youth (MICUNAY): A Randomized Controlled Trial

  Urban Native American teens may benefit from culturally centered programs. No differences found between MICUNAY + Community Wellness Gatherings (CWGs) and CWGs only.

  Jan 14, 2020

• 

  Report

  Measuring the Effectiveness of Special Operations

  How can the success (or failure) of Army special operations missions be assessed? The authors develop a methodology for doing so and illustrate the process through a fictional scenario.

  Nov 13, 2019

• 

  Report

  Army Expeditionary Civilian Demand: Forecasting Future Requirements for Civilian Deployments

  As the largest provider of government civilians to support U.S. military operations, the Army stands to benefit to a great extent from a more robust process for forecasting future demand for its civilian workforce.

  Oct 24, 2019

• 

  Journal Article

  Overt Perceived Discrimination and Racial Microaggressions and Their Association with Health Risk Behaviors Among a Sample of Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Adolescents

  Analyzing the potential effects of the broad range of perceived discrimination (PD) experiences, including both overt PD and racial microaggressions, among urban American Indian/Alaska Native adolescents on health outcomes offers a unique opportunity to further our understanding of these health disparities.

  Jun 12, 2019

• 

  Journal Article

  Unveiling an 'Invisible Population': Health, Substance Use, Sexual Behavior, Culture, and Discrimination Among Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Adolescents in California

  American Indian/Alaska Native adolescents in this study used alcohol or other drugs at rates similar to those found in national surveys and rates of risky sexual behavior were also comparable to national data.

  Feb 28, 2019

• 

  Journal Article

  Perceived Peer Norms, Health Risk Behaviors, and Clustering of Risk Behaviors Among Palestinian Youth

  Prevention education programs for Palestinian youth should be structured to deal with a range of connected risk behaviors& for which certain youth may be at risk, not just single behaviors such as drug use.

  Aug 28, 2018

• 

  Tool

  A Manual for Cultural Analysis

  Many academic disciplines have formally theorized culture as socially learned information that can influence beliefs and behaviors. This tool combines methods from anthropology and related areas to create a manual to examine cultural data.

  Jul 9, 2018

• 

  Report

  A Social Network Analysis and Qualitative Assessment of Partnerships for Million Hearts®

  This report examines the partnerships developed in Million Hearts, defines the practices and approaches to cardiovascular disease prevention that occurred as a result of the program, and provides suggestions for future Million Hearts activities.

  Jun 20, 2018

• 

  Research Brief

  Understanding How the Million Hearts Initiative Is Working to Address Cardiovascular Disease

  The Million Hearts initiative has been successful at the national level in bringing stakeholders together to address cardiovascular disease, but the network could be enhanced and the level of membership commitment and activity could be strengthened.

  Jun 20, 2018

• 

  Journal Article

  Health risk behaviours of Palestinian youth: Findings from a representative survey

  Prevention outreach for youth risk behavior in the occupied Palestinian territory, and elsewhere in the region, should be directed at subgroups and areas identified as highest risk.

  Jun 19, 2018

• 

  Journal Article

  Substance Use Among Palestinian Youth in the West Bank, Palestine: A Qualitative Investigation

  This study provides insights into the perceived prevalence and patterns of alcohol and drug use among Palestinian youth.

  2016

• 

  Journal Article

  Perceptions of Sexual Risk Behavior Among Palestinian Youth in the West Bank: A Qualitative Investigation

  Young people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are profoundly affected by violence, high unemployment, and economic hardship.

  2014

• 

  Journal Article

  Cultural Identity Among Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Youth: Implications for Alcohol and Drug Use

  Better understanding how American Indian/Alaska Native youth negotiate cultural identity in urban settings can help with the design of culturally appropriate alcohol and other drug use interventions.

  Sep 22, 2016

• 

  Draft

  Prevalence and Patterns of Health Risk Behaviors of Palestinian Youth: Findings from a Representative Survey

  Investigates the prevalence and patterns of risk behaviors as well as of mental health, perceptions of the risks of such behaviors, and the factors increasing vulnerability to as well as protection from engagement in them.

  Jul 25, 2016

• 

  Journal Article

  Integrating Motivational Interviewing and Traditional Practices to Address Alcohol and Drug Use Among Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Youth

  Provide abstract text to pubcat@rand.org alias if you wish to add optional text to this extra tag for this metadata record.

  Sep 25, 2015

• 

  Report

  Behavioral Health and Service Use Among Civilian Wives of Service Members and Veterans: Evidence from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health

  In this report, researchers examined utilization of behavioral health care among current or former wives of service members and veterans who are covered by the U.S. Department of Defense Military Health System and the Veterans Health Administration.

  Aug 24, 2015

• 

  Journal Article

  Risk Evaluations and Condom Use Decisions of Homeless Youth: A Multi-Level Qualitative Investigation

  Interventions targeting homeless youth should reflect multiple levels of risk behavior and evaluation in order to address the diversity of risk profiles.

  Feb 25, 2015

• 

  Report

  Access to Behavioral Health Care for Geographically Remote Service Members and Dependents in the U.S.

  Geospatial and longitudinal analyses helped determine how many military service members and dependents are geographically distant from behavioral health care and the resulting effect on use of care.

  Jan 5, 2015

• 

  Research Brief

  Far from Care: Increasing Access to Behavioral Health Care for Remote Service Members and Their Families

  RAND researchers sought to identify how many U.S. military service members and their dependents are remote from behavioral health care and the effects of this distance on their access to and use of care.

  Jan 5, 2015

• 

  Report

  Improving Access to Behavioral Health Care for Remote Service Members and Their Families

  Geospatial and longitudinal analyses helped determine how many military service members and dependents are geographically distant from behavioral health care and the resulting effect on use of care.

  Jan 5, 2015

• 

  Journal Article

  Understanding Condom Use Decision Making Among Homeless Youth Using Event-Level Data

  This is one of the first qualitative event-based studies to understand the various mechanisms through which multiple factors influence condom use decision making among homeless youth.

  Nov 26, 2014

• 

  Journal Article

  Are Mental Disorders More Common in Urban Than Rural Areas of the United States?

  Urban vs. rural residence is commonly cited as a risk factor for depression and other mental disorders, but epidemiological evidence for this relationship in the US is inconclusive.

  Jul 15, 2014

• 

  Report

  Youth in Jordan: Transitions from Education to Employment

  High youth unemployment in Jordan remains a serious economic and social problem, leading to delays in marriage and family formation. This study examines the perceptions of young Jordanians on issues relevant to their transitions into adult roles.

  Jun 30, 2014

• 

  Report

  Improving the U.S. Military's Understanding of Unstable Environments Vulnerable to Violent Extremist Groups: Insights from Social Science

  This report identifies and assesses factors that create and perpetuate environments susceptible to insurgency, terrorism, and other extremist violence to inform military decisions on allocation of analytic and security assistance resources.

  Jan 16, 2014

• 

  Research Brief

  Predicting Suicide Attacks: Characteristics of Bombings in Israel

  This brief describes an assessment of how geospatial and sociocultural characteristics may help predict the timing and targets of terrorist attacks.

  Nov 7, 2013

• 

  Research Brief

  Using Behavioral Indicators to Detect Potential Violent Acts

  Provides an overview of research on how observable behavioral indicators might be used to detect potential violent attacks, such as by suicide terrorists or those laying improvised explosive devices.

  Aug 23, 2013

• 

  Report

  Using Behavioral Indicators to Help Detect Potential Violent Acts: A Review of the Science Base

  Reviews the scientific literature relating to observable behavioral indicators that might, along with other information, help detect potential violent attacks, such as those by suicide terrorists or the laying of improvised explosive devices.

  Jun 11, 2013

• 

  Report

  Predicting Suicide Attacks: Integrating Spatial, Temporal, and Social Features of Terrorist Attack Targets

  Analysis of data on suicide attacks in Israel suggest that assessing sociocultural, political, economic, and demographic factors in addition to the geospatial enhances the ability to predict future suicide attack targets.

  Feb 18, 2013

• 

  Journal Article

  Sleep Budgets in a Globalizing World: Biocultural Interactions Influence Sleep Sufficiency Among Egyptian Families

  Declines in self-reported sleep quotas with globalizing lifestyle changes have focused attention on their possible role in rising global health problems such as obesity or depression.

  Feb 1, 2013

• 

  Journal Article

  Monogamy on the Street: A Mixed Methods Study of Homeless Men

  In this study, we used a mixed methods approach to explore the determinants of relationship patterns and risky sex among homeless men living in downtown Los Angeles.

  2013

• 

  Journal Article

  Unprotected Sex Among Heterosexually Active Homeless Men: Results from a Multi-Level Dyadic Analysis

  This research uses multi-level modeling to investigate the context of unprotected sex among heterosexually active homeless men in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles.

  2013

• 

  Journal Article

  Masculinity and HIV Risk Among Homeless Men in Los Angeles

  HIV continues to be a serious public health problem for men who have sex with women (MSW), especially homeless MSW.

  2013

• 

  Journal Article

  Positive Income Shocks and Accidental Deaths Among Cherokee Indians: A Natural Experiment

  This study of a Cherokee Indian population in North Carolina found that sudden increases in income were associated with short-term increases in risk-taking behavior and higher rates of accidental death.

  2011

• 

  Journal Article

  Sex and Relationships on the Street: How Homeless Men Judge Partner Risk on Skid Row

  Homeless men on LA's Skid Row use visual and behavioral cues, social reputation, feelings of trust, perceived relationship seriousness, and medically inaccurate ''folk'' beliefs to judge whether partners were risky and/or condom use was warranted.

  2012

• 

  Research Brief

  Sexual Orientation and U.S. Personnel Policy Revisited

  Summarizes results of a RAND Corporation study on sexual orientation and U.S. military policy requested by the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Secretary of Defense in order to weigh repeal of the law known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

  Dec 23, 2010

• 

  Report

  Sexual Orientation and U.S. Military Personnel Policy: An Update of RAND's 1993 Study

  Shares results of a study on sexual orientation and U.S. military policy, requested by the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Secretary of Defense in order to weigh the repeal of the law known as ''Don't Ask, Don't Tell.''

  Nov 18, 2010

• 

  Draft

  National Independence, Women's Political Participation, and Life Expectancy in Norway

  Investigates the role of national independence and women's political participation on population health using historical lifespan data from Norway.

  Jan 12, 2010

• 

  Journal Article

  Crystal Methamphetamine Use Among American Indian and White Youth in Appalachia: Social Context, Masculinity, and Desistance

  Comparisons of methamphetamine use among American Indian men in Appalachia and that in other populations and regions suggest that similar motivations and contextual factors may influence meth use across diverse cultural and regional contexts.

  2010

• 

  Journal Article

  National Independence, Women's Political Participation, and Life Expectancy in Norway

  This study investigates the role of national independence and women's political participation on population health using historical lifespan data from Norway.

  2010

• 

  Journal Article

  Theory and Method at the Intersection of Anthropology and Cultural Neuroscience

  Exploring the intersection of neuroscience and anthropology can productively inform our understanding of the relationship between human brains and their socio-cultural contexts.

  2010

• 

  Journal Article

  Anthropology and Cultural Neuroscience: Creating Productive Intersections in Parallel Fields

  Anthropology can help locate unique or interesting populations and phenomena for cultural neuroscience research.

  2009

• 

  Journal Article

  Cultural Models and Fertility Timing Among Cherokee and White Youth in Appalachia: Beyond the Mode

  American Indian groups exhibit some of the highest and earliest fertility. This comparison between Cherokee and white youth in Appalachia found that the main difference in attitudes toward childbearing was the degree of latitude for the timing of having children vis-à-vis other major life events.

  2009

• 

  Journal Article

  Family and Community Influences on Educational Outcomes Among Appalachian Youth

  Examines the impact of community and family poverty and educational attainment on educational goals and attainment among rural white youth (n=200).

  2009

• 

  Journal Article

  Lifecourse Priorities Among Appalachian Emerging Adults: Revisiting Wallace's Organization of Diversity

  Examines how social demographics (gender, age, or race-ethnicity), census tract characteristics, and family environment during childhood relate to variability in the lifecourse priorities of 344 Cherokee and white youth during emerging adulthood. .650 2

  2009

• 

  Journal Article

  Moving from Ethnography to Epidemiology: Lessons Learned in Appalachia

  Describes lessons learned in the creation and administration of the Life Trajectory Interview for Youth, an ethnographically-based instrument to assess the life course perspectives of Appalachian youth, and explores its utility in predicting depression and negative life events.

  2009

• 

  Journal Article

  Cultural and Community Determinants of Subjective Social Status Among Cherokee and White Youth

  Examines similarities and differences in how community poverty, family context, and life course attainment predict subjective social status, which is associated with physical and mental health, among Cherokee and white youth in Appalachia.

  2008

• 

  Draft

  Historical and Life Course Timing of the Male Mortality Disadvantage in Europe: Epidemiologic Transitions, Evolution, and Behavior

  This study employs vital statistics data from Sweden, England, Wales, France, and Spain to examine male:female mortality differentials from 1750 through 2000 and their inter-relationship with epidemiological transitions.

  Jul 4, 2007

• 

  Journal Article

  Historical and Life Course Timing of the Male Mortality Disadvantage in Europe: Epidemiologic Transitions, Evolution, and Behavior

  This study employs vital statistics data from Sweden, England, Wales, France, and Spain to examine male:female mortality differentials from 1750 through 2000 and their interrelationship with epidemiological transitions.

  May 1, 2006