Machine-learning-assisted screening of key flavor compounds in pumpkins.

Although the loss of a parent during midlife is often regarded as a natural and expected life event, this perception can obscure the significant emotional and psychological challenges it entails. Despite its normative timing, parental loss in midlife represents a major life transition that demands psychological adaptation and often involves shifts in family roles, caregiving responsibilities, and intergenerational identity [, , ]. While research has thoroughly documented the impact of parental loss in childhood and adolescence [], studies examining bereavement during midlife and its psychological implications remain relatively limited and uneven. One reason may be its classification as a “natural” loss within the grief hierarchy [], a framing that implies lower societal recognition and support. However, both Doka [] and Stroebe and Schut [] emphasize that even normative losses require attention to the social context in which grief unfolds, as social mechanisms can critically shape loss integration and psychological adaptation. The current study addresses this gap by examining how midlife parental loss relates to general psychological distress and well-being, and by testing the role of social mechanisms in facilitating loss integration and adaptation among bereaved adult children.