My wife and I have been married for a year. The problem is her mother, who is creating serious problems for my wife.

My in-laws live together but seem to hate each other. Their marriage has always been troubled. My wife has two sisters who side with the mother and my wife is very close to her father. Growing up, her mother was very abusive and often hit her.

Recently they all had a big fight and my mother-in-law told my wife she never wanted to see or speak to her again.

Of course her sisters have now turned against her as well. This has made my wife unhappy and depressed.

I am worried that this is going to seriously affect her health. Is there anything I can do to sort this out?

Worried, Yeoville

Your wife is very fortunate to have a loving, caring husband. Have you asked other close family members to try and intervene on your part?

It sounds as if your mother-in-law is irrational to have turned her daughters against each other. It is also cruel to expect her daughters to turn their backs on their father.

It is not easy to sort out a situation like this because the problems and hurt go way back. However, it is possible to get help for your wife.

She needs to understand that she is not responsible for the problems in her parent's marriage and her mother's behaviour.

She also might need help to heal from the abuse she suffered as a child.

You need to take your wife to a doctor who can refer her for professional counselling and possibly short-term medication to treat the depression.