Aim of the study:
The father leaving the family is undoubtedly an example of those new experiences, and one that disturbs functioning of the family members. Observations confirm that children suffer most as a result of changes in the family life and in an atmosphere of conflict. Such changes often lead to separation and divorce, after which the parents remain in conflict and the mother experiences negative emotional states, which might be harmful to the children. The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between a subjective assessment of adolescents’ relationship with the mother and emotional closeness with the grandparents, and resilience in adolescents from single mother families, with consideration of the context provided by the role of the absence of father.

Subject or material and methods:
The study was conducted on a sample of 309 participants, with the Questionnaire of Family Relationships, Resilience Scale (SPP-18), and the original Scale of Closeness to Grandparents.

Results:
The results indicated that, aside from consistency with the mother, closeness with the grandparents also stimulates resilience in adolescents.

Discussion:
The dimension of control over an adolescent significantly lowers resilience of the individual. The duration of the absence of the father was not a significant determinant of resilience in young people.

Conclusions:
The results obtained in the study may prove useful to psychologists in constructing assistance programs for youth and families of single mothers; they can also be treated as a starting point for future research.