Gachungi, Catherine KarimiNdirangu, Simon2024-10-112024-10-112023-092456-2165https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/29130ArticleCOVID-19 hit the world in 2019-2020 leading governments worldwide to close down learning institutions and enforce lockdown and curfew orders to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. School is a socializing agent and adolescents are at a stage where their social life affects or influences their development. Being students is a source of anxiety and therefore the present study was targeted at how social distancing affected the adolescent learner’s Psychological WellBeing (PWB). This study was aimed at establishing the influence of COVID-19 social distancing preventive measure on the PWB of KCSE 2021 candidates from secondary schools in Mombasa County, Kenya. This study used the ex post facto and the cross-sectional research designs. 378 high school students were sampled through random sampling; and 11 teachers were key informants. Collection of primary data was via a questionnaire sent online. The study used descriptive statistics in analyzing data collected; findings were presented in percentages and frequencies. Statistical inference consisted of multiple linear regression and correlation analysis. Findings showed that social distancing had a negative and significant correlation with PWB among KCSE 2021 candidates The study concluded that social distancing disconnected the KCSE 2021 candiadates from friends, also limited their engagement activities, and contributed to lack of social support, this affected their PWB.enArticle