Coco’s Fire: A Children’s Book and Model for Youth Anxiety - With Jeremy Wortzel

In this episode of the Climate Psychiatry Alliance Podcast, child and adolescent psychiatry resident and Coco’s Fire co-author Dr. Jeremy Wortzel joins us to discuss how we can help young people navigate climate anxiety through connection, curiosity, and action.

Together, we explore Coco’s Fire, a children’s book created to introduce climate change in a developmentally thoughtful and emotionally supportive way. Dr. Wortzel shares the story behind the book, the growing body of research on eco-anxiety among youth, and practical ways for parents, clinicians, and communities to support young people facing an uncertain future.

We also discuss the therapeutic role of nature, green spaces, and outdoor experiences in mental health care, and how psychiatry can expand beyond the clinic room to address the environmental determinants of well-being.

Highlights from this episode:

•  The growing evidence behind climate anxiety and distress in children and adolescents
•  How Coco’s Fire was designed to help transform fear into empowerment and action
•  Practical strategies for parents to have healthy climate conversations with children
•  Why “getting educated, getting involved, and getting outside” can help transform anxiety into resilience
•  Why clinicians should begin thinking about climate and environment as part of holistic mental health care

This conversation is a hopeful and deeply human exploration of how we can support the next generation while building healthier communities, healthier minds, and a healthier planet.

Further reading referenced in this episode:

Wortzel JD, Deng V-S, Angrish J, et al. Pediatric climate distress: A scoping review and clinical resource. Journal of Climate Change and Health. 2024;20:100349.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2024.100349

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266727822400052X

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