In Portugal, Recognition, Validation and Certification of Competences (RVCC) allows adults to achieve recognition of competences acquired by formal and informal learning using a Competences Reference System. By creating a portfolio describing their life story, adults may explore and question their own living experiences.

This communication aims at promoting deep consideration on the importance of an RVCC process in promoting adult mental health. It analyses the relation between mental health and the RVCC process, and its benefits to prevention and rehabilitation. Methods include my experience as a psychologist at a Centra de Novas Oportunidades (New Opportunities Centre) and scientific literature on the subject. Adults are involved in activities which contribute to developing their social competences. They increase self-confidence and self-esteem, control over life choices and accountability for their actions. In Portugal, this process also involves patients with mental disorders and offers appropriate Key Competences Reference Systems. Adults suffering from mental disorder and undergoing a RVCC process re-establish their self-confidence, self-esteem, self-efficacy and gain a positive hope for the future. Empowerment leads them to cooperate more actively with mental health professionals in their own treatment and rehabilitation plan.

Despite being highly criticized as a system which only validates competences, such criticisms to this process are clearly reductive.