Potential Army suicides more than doubled in May compared to the previous month and are up significantly for 2009, according the U.S. Defense Department.

The Army reported one confirmed suicide and 16 potential cases among active-duty soldiers last month. In April, there were a total of eight cases - three confirmed and five still under investigation, according to the Pentagon.

In all, there have been 82 reported suicides in 2009 - 45 confirmed, 37 pending review. During the same period in 2008, there were 51 cases among soldiers.

In January, the Army implemented a branch-wide effort to deal with the growing number of suicides, including the creation of a suicide prevention task force and the hiring of more counselors.

The spike in suicides is also seen among reservists not on active duty. In 2009, there have been 37 cases - 16 confirmed and 21 potential - compared to 23 suicides for the same period in 2008.

violence hit an all-time high in Afghanistan last week.