We intended to assess psychological factors influencing functional status of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). These patients experience different emotional difficulties, which may interfere with the course of the disease by influencing the pathophysiological mechanisms. The most frequent reactions observed in IBD patients are: anxiety, depressive mood, life dissatisfaction, and negative attitude to the results of treatment. We discuss individual features of patient personality which may be important for their psychological or physical status and in consequence their health status. The article also presents the dynamics of emotional reaction changes in IBD patients, which allow them to adapt to chronic disease. We hope that an understanding of the characteristic psychological reactions of IBD patients will be helpful to achieve better therapeutic results for this disease