The present article reviews recent studies analyzing the association between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and personality in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). HRQoL is especially important in chronic diseases, since the strategic goals of treatment are to relieve symptoms, delay progression and improve functional quality. Some studies show that HRQoL in patients with IBD is significantly lower than that in the general population. Few studies have analyzed the association between personality and IBD and the results are contradictory. The most prevalent personality disorders in IBD are avoidant personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Some results of a longitudinal study corroborating impaired HRQoL in these patients and the presence of one or more personality disorders in 57% of the sample are discussed.