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Atrial fibrillation is a type of irregular heartbeat. It's commonly called AFib.

The relationship between AFib and stress, anxiety and depression is complex. Some studies say there's a link between symptoms of these mental health conditions and the risk of AFib. Other studies say there's not.

For example, some research shows that:

• Feeling depressed or anxious can make AFib symptoms worse.
• Feeling angry or stressed about work may make AFib more likely to happen.
• Having anxiety increases the risk of AFib returning after some treatments.

But a large study of people with regular heart rhythms says that anxiety and severe depression do not raise the risk of AFib. More research is needed to understand any possible links.