Tikrit University

Dissociation Disorder of Pierre Janet in Dave Cousins’ 15 Days Without a Head Huda Ahmed Dahham

Document Type : Original Article

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Abstract
Dissociation is a mental disorder that disturbs individual’s behaviors and thoughts. Presently, psychologists widely acknowledge dissociation as a prevalent global mental disorder that warrants thorough examination and exploration, particularly within various academic fields and through literary analysis. Dissociation is the problem of the age and we need to shed light on it. The core of the study focuses on studying Dissociation as a relabel part to mental illnesses and as a defense mechanism, its reasons, and its destructive consequences. The main data sources utilized in this study are derived from the novel 15 Days Without a Head authored by Dave Cousins. The aim of this study is to identify and examine the mental health issue as well as how to understand it, particularly in novels. The research is of the descriptive type and employs a qualitative methodology. The writer employs Psychoanalysis theory, dissociation, and defense mechanisms as conceptual frameworks that support the analysis. The research findings indicate that the protagonist of the novel 15 Days Without a Head, Laurance, resorts to dissociation as a defense mechanism.

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Volume 10, Issue 1, Part 2
Winter 2026
Pages 199-222

  • Receive Date 03 January 2025
  • Accept Date 21 February 2025
  • Publish Date 01 March 2026