Unease
Triumph Over Your Fears
An animated short film to be used in a psychological research study in March 2025
The Story
“Unease is a beautifully crafted short that bridges the gap between science and storytelling, leaving viewers both informed and emotionally moved.”
--New York Short Animation Festival
Unease is a research-based animated short film that explores the differences between Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Situational Anxiety—a distinction often misunderstood by the general public. While situational anxiety is a common, short-term emotional response to stress, GAD is a clinically diagnosed mental health disorder marked by persistent and excessive worry that interferes with daily life.
Through expressive animation and emotionally grounded storytelling, Unease aims to educate viewers, challenge mental health misconceptions, and examine whether animation can serve as an effective tool for public psychology education. The film is part of an IRB-approved research study, which evaluates audience understanding of anxiety, investigates bias toward mental illness, and measures the impact of animation on shifting perceptions.
The film is part of an IRB-approved research study, which evaluates audience understanding of anxiety, investigates bias toward mental illness, and measures the impact of animation on shifting perceptions.
Unease premiered on March 30, 2025, at Athens ANIMFEST, one of Europe’s longest-running animation festivals.
Early results from the ongoing study show:
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all of viewers who initially held negative perceptions of animation shifted to moderate or positive views after watching the film.
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healthcare workers demonstrated improved diagnostic accuracy when identifying GAD versus situational anxiety post-screening.
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The strongest attitude shifts were observed among viewers born in the 1970s–1990s and among Black and Hispanic/Latino participants, supporting the film’s cross-generational and cross-cultural relevance.
